New synthetic drug NBOME suspected in third death this year

New synthetic drug NBOME suspected in third death this year

JOHNSON COUNTY — A new synthetic drug just on the radar of narcotics detectives is now suspected in a third central Indiana death, two of them teenagers.

Police are investigating the drug NBOME as possibly connected to the death of 16-year-old Center Grove sophomore Samuel Motsay.

Motsay was found unresponsive Sunday in the Eagle Trace community of White River Township.

Sheriff Doug Cox said remnants of a drug believed to be NBOME were found in that home.

“It’s a new drug that, quite honestly, I had never heard of before,” Cox said.

The drug is just becoming familiar to narcotics detectives. Synthetically produced and causing effects similar to that of LSD or acid, it’s also known as “N-bomb,” “Smile” and “Mr. Happy.”

The drug is also suspected in the March 28 death of Fishers 18-year-old Jack Romaine, as well as another death in Indianapolis in recent months.

In Motsay’s case, two people are now in custody on suspicions they helped supply the drugs.

Kyle Hazzard, 24, turned himself in at the Johnson County jail Thursday evening. He and another man, 19-year-old Jordon Adamowicz, are suspected of getting the drugs to Motsay. Police are still searching for Adamowicz.

Zachary Catron, 24, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of supplying the drugs. Police found NBOME inside Catron’s home, along with other drugs and guns, despite him wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet.

Catron’s arrest record dates back to when he himself was 16. It includes two felony sentences in October of last year, for dealing cocaine and methamphetamine. At the time, Catrone was sentenced to 20 years with 18 years suspended and put on that monitoring bracelet. He was also picked up by Johnson County on an unrelated drug charge in March and later released on bond.

Parents are encouraged to talk to your kids about the drug, since detectives believe it is growing in popularity and extremely dangerous.